these are the likely things to be said 1)Ali got lucky first time 2)Foreman got lucky second time 3)Foreman never turned up first time 4)ali never turned up the second time cos he had nuttin to prove foreman would go on to bigger and better things, and ali would just fade into oblivian.
Foreman would crack my top 10. Ali would probably still be my #1 - but the Louis case would be much stronger.
Im not saying that this would be the general consensus, but i find it hard to believe that no1s even considering that people would not just think that Foreman did in the rematch what he was should have done in the initial meeting, beat a past prime great in Ali, and in that light, Ali's win would still be bigger than Foremans
I'm probably in the minority but I do think the ropes played a significant role in the outcome along with Foreman not pacing himself properly. While it's far from certain, I certainly could envision a Foreman win in a rematch. If nothing else this fight showed the importance of styles. Here Foreman rolled over Frazier with the greatest of ease, the Frazier who gave Ali hell, yet Ali managed to beat Foreman rather convincingly. But if he won a rematch, he would definately be in the top 5 category, exactly where depends on how many times he defended his title, (if it was a title fight) and the fashion that he won both against Ali and in title defenses.
He would have crippled the Ali that fought Spinks or Norton or Berbick but what would that prove...still it would be in peoples minds
Foreman moves up. Ali moves down. And maybe Frazier and Norton move down a tad. Ali never really had to come back from KO loss ( Not TKO stoppage to Holmes ). Post 1975, Ali won a few big fights. Not sure if he could beat Lyle, Shavers, or Young if he had to pick up the pieces.